Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Evan Ndicka.
The Magpies are once again set to be in the market for a centre-back, having signed Dan Burn in January.
The big man arrived on deadline day for £13million, after the new owners failed to bring in both Sven Botman and Diego Carlos. Burn has been exceptional though, and proven to be a fantastic signing.
However, defensive reinforcements are wanted, and the Chronicle claim Newcastle are looking at Ndicka.
The 22-year-old currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. Toon chiefs could have scouted him tonight in the Europa League semi-final against West Ham, but he’s suspended.
Ndicka is a France Under-21 international, and can also play at left-back, which is an added bonus.
Evan Ndicka would cost Newcastle more than £20million
The Chronicle add that the defender will command a fee of around £23million. That would make him the most expensive defender in the club’s history.
Big fees are going to become the norm though for Newcastle given their newfound wealth. They’ve also spent more than that twice since the change of ownership, with Chris Wood and Bruno Guimaraes arriving for mega money.
Ndicka’s contract situation may give Newcastle an edge in negotiations. His current deal at Frankfurt expires in the summer of 2023, meaning this summer is the last chance they’ll get to receive decent money.
Recouping £23million for the defender would represent a huge profit. Frankfurt paid £4.6million for his services in 2018.
Ndicka is a man in demand, with various other Premier League clubs chasing his signature. Arsenal and Tottenham have been linked, but the youngster has been urged to stay in Germany by Jan Aage Fjortoft.
But with Newcastle massively on the up, perhaps a move to St James’ Park could be difficult to turn down. Of course, it may depend on who Howe wants to bring in – plenty of centre-backs have been linked, and it’s unclear where Ndicka ranks.